Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the first live-action film in
the history of movies to star, and be told from the point of view of, a
sentient animal — a character with human-like qualities, who can
strategize, organize and ultimately lead a revolution, and with whom
audiences will experience a real emotional bond. The film was
impossible to make until the technology, invented for Avatar
and now advanced to a new dimension, caught up to the idea behind the
movie.

The groundbreaking work of Andy Serkis and visual digital house Weta Digital allows audiences to emotionally engage with the lead character, a chimpanzee named Caesar.
Photo by WETA

This work is complemented by the unique and extraordinary achievements
of Andy Serkis, the world’s foremost performance capture actor, who
infuses Caesar with nuance, soul, wisdom and heart.

Another historic accomplishment for the picture was its filming of
visual effects and performance capture work on practical locations
outside the controlled environment of an enclosed stage. This
allowed the performance capture work to be fully integrated with the
live action performances — eliminating the barrier between visual
effects and live action.

In addition to presenting emotionally-engaging photo-realistic apes, the
film’s setting is instantly recognizable and relatable. Rise
of the Planet of the Apes is an origin story in the truest sense of
the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a
reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend,
where man’s experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development
of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

“This is a contemporary view of the Planet of the Apes mythology,” says
producer Dylan Clark. “It’s a big event movie, but is anchored by
the quality of its storytelling, its emotion, and the depth of its
characters. At its heart, it’s a character-driven piece.”

The film’s emotional core was a principal draw for the actors, including
John Lithgow. “It’s very unusual to have a big science fiction
film with a foundation in human emotion and conflict,” says the Oscar
nominated actor. “I was amazed by the script’s emotional
authenticity. This film takes audiences’ expectations and turns
them on their head.”

Much like its storied predecessor, the original Planet of the Apes,
the new film uses the science fiction genre to explore bigger worlds and
ideas. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes is about our
civilization reaching a point of no return,” says director Rupert Wyatt.
“Events unfold through the eyes of Caesar, a super-intelligent
chimpanzee who at a young age sees humans as being capable of wonderful
things, like art and reason. And then he begins to see humanity’s
dark side – oppression, bigotry, and the ostracizing of what and who we
don’t understand.”

Another key theme is humanity’s hubris – our arrogance in thinking that
we can twist, push, cheat, or circumvent the laws of nature, without
consequences. “In the original Planet of the Apes, it was man’s
hubris that got the character of Col. Taylor [portrayed by Charlton
Heston] on that beach, facing the Statue of Liberty and the stunning
reality of humanity’s destiny,” writer-producer Rick Jaffa points out.
“It wasn’t a quirk of fate or a mutation that that led to that
upside-down world.” So, too, does Rise of the Planet of the
Apes pit humans against nature – and against themselves – leading
to a resolution that sees humans and apes on the path that will take
them to a new and shocking world order.

Caesar is a character of unprecedented emotion and intelligence.
Photo by WETA

GEN-SYS: IN THE BEGINNING

Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist working within a large
pharmaceutical corporation, Gen-Sys, conducting genetic research to
develop a benign virus that restores damaged human brain tissue. He is
committed to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, a disease that afflicts his
father, Charles (John Lithgow). Will’s relentless focus – “he’s
married to his science,” says Jaffa – has precluded personal
relationships, but the connection between his research and Charles’
illness brings the two together, albeit under difficult heart-rending
circumstances. “Will is a cold, isolated person,” says James
Franco, a recent Best Actor Oscar-nominee for his work in 127 Hours.
“Most of his energy is directed towards his work. His father, Charles,
is suffering from dementia so he moves into his father’s house, which
was once Will’s childhood home, to take care of him. Being a caregiver
is a role Will has never had to perform before.”

Just prior to Gen-Sys’ commencement of human trials of a promising and
potentially lucrative new drug, ALZ-112, Will’s simian test subjects
suddenly display bizarrely aggressive behavior. Management deems
the research a failure and Will must shut down his program.

Amidst the confusion of the study’s sudden termination, Will finds
himself charged with an overlooked newborn infant chimpanzee – a male,
the newly orphaned offspring of his most promising test subject. That
young chimp, destined for greatness, is named Caesar.

RISE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE REVOLUTION

Will secretly raises young Caesar as his own, at home, while caring for
his ailing father. “Will must now be a caretaker, not only to Charles,
but to this baby chimp,” says Franco. “As the story progresses
Will becomes more of a person and less of a scientist, and starts to
care about Caesar more than the success of the drug.”

Caesar is much more than a pet to Will; in fact, Will becomes a father
figure to the very special chimp. “In some ways, this is a story
about fathers and sons,” says writer-producer Amanda Silver, who penned
the screenplay with her husband and writing partner Rick Jaffa.
“Will becomes a father to his own father, as well as to Caesar.”

Adds John Lithgow: “The Will-Charles-Caesar dynamic is extraordinary.
Will is losing his father to Alzheimer’s just as he’s gaining this
‘child,’ Caesar. That’s the emotional tension that sets the story in
motion.”

Caesar leads Will to Caroline (Freida Pinto), a primatologist who serves
as Caesar’s vet, and who becomes a key player in both of their lives.
“Caroline loves the fact that Will cares for a chimpanzee so much that
he almost treats him like his own son,” says Pinto. “She’s
dedicated her life to apes, so she absolutely loves them and cares for
them with all her heart.”

Due to exposure in the womb to the ALZ-112, young Caesar displays
intelligence and behaviors unusual for an ape of any age. Inspired
by his observation of Caesar’s unexpected gifts, Will surreptitiously
obtains enough samples of ALZ-112 from Gen-Sys, and against his better
judgment privately continues his research at home, using his father and
Caesar as test subjects. Over time, with the help of the drug, the
chimp exhibits incredible cognitive skills and intellect. At the
same time, Charles’ symptoms of Alzheimer’s miraculously go into
remission. Will’s bending the rules of laboratory trials seems to
have worked beyond his hopes. But as he soon discovers, it has taken him
– and ultimately the entire human race – on a ruinous path.

“Will has crossed the line,” says Rick Jaffa. “He’s thinking, okay, we
can cure Alzheimer’s and increase intelligence. And that’s when you
start to play God and that’s when it gets dicey.”

Caesar (Andy Serkis) shares an emotional moment with Will Rodman (James Franco) in the aftermath of the revolution.
Photo by WETA

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes explores arguably one of
today’s most important issues,” states Peter Chernin. “We have these
incredible scientific and medical tools at our disposal, and we’re
asking the question, how far do you take them before you’re really
messing with nature? What are the limitations?”

Will Rodman pushes those limitations to the breaking point and beyond,
to catastrophic results. But before those dire consequences unfold, we
get to know Caesar as a youngster and adolescent who, like a human
child, is curious about the world around him. However, as Caesar
matures, his highly-developed intelligence is countered by the
aggressive and dangerous protective instincts typical of adult male
apes. Caesar soon becomes too much for Will and Caroline to handle. Will
is reluctant to part with Caesar, who has become like a son; Caroline
understands Will’s inner turmoil, but she knows that it is impossible
for Caesar to remain with him. “Caroline insists that every animal needs
open space and that you can’t expect a large animal – even a very
special one like Caesar – to flourish inside a house,” Pinto explains.
“Of course, she loves Will and Caesar, and understands why it’s so
difficult for him to part with Caesar.”

Will takes Caesar to live among other apes within the confines of the
San Bruno Primate Sanctuary. But unknown to Will, the “sanctuary” is
more like a shoddily run prison – a dumping ground for unwanted or
abandoned apes. It is run by Landon (Brian Cox, who starred in director
Rupert Wyatt’s debut feature, the acclaimed The Escapist), and Landon’s
son, Dodge, portrayed by Tom Felton. The latter’s work in Rise of
the Planet of the Apes marks another inventive villainous turn
following his role as the bullying Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film
series, for which Felton was recently awarded an MTV Movie Award® for
Best Villain.

Because he’s not the physically strongest ape in the facility, Caesar
quickly realizes that in order to survive he must assert his
intellectual dominance over the fearsome alpha-male ape Rocket, a
beastly brooding angry gorilla named Buck, and a psychologically damaged
orangutan named Maurice. Caesar soon prevails over the other apes, and
establishes a new social order. At a pivotal and electric moment, Caesar
stands up and retaliates against their cruel human handlers.

Says Dylan Clark: “We built the structure of our movie around that
scene,” the specifics of which the filmmakers wish to keep a surprise.
“It will be powerful and emotional.” Adds Rupert Wyatt: “We wanted it be
a ‘world-stops-spinning’ moment that plays into the whole idea of
evolution and where that can take a species.” That defining instant
leads to a daring escape, an epic confrontation at San Francisco’s
Golden Gate Bridge, a wrenching and fateful reunion between Will and
Caesar – and a revolution that will forever change the planet.

BRINGING CAESAR TO LIFE

In creating Caesar and the world he inhabits, Weta Digital’s mandate, as
it was on Avatar and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is to take audiences
to worlds never seen before. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES senior
visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, a four-time Oscar winner,
explains: “For Avatar, Jim Cameron created a complete fantasy world that
no one had ever experienced before. The challenge with RISE OF THE
PLANET OF THE APES was a very different one, and in some ways, it was
even more daunting. We applied some of the technology we developed for
Avatar to create a real, recognizable world – modern-day San Francisco.
Everything – the apes, the locations – had to feel genuine because we’re
exploring a story that’s reality-based and not straight-ahead science
fiction.”

Letteri credits Rupert Wyatt for championing the notion of a
reality-based story and effects. “Rupert has instilled the overall idea
in all of us that we are bringing realistic-looking chimps into the mix.
So, we started at ground zero. It’s a fresh new approach to the Planet
of the Apes film series. We’re presenting primates as we know them.
We’re giving them an additional level of intelligence and subtle human
tendencies.”

For Letteri, Planet of the Apes is in some ways the Holy Grail for
visual effects artists, because the 1968 original is a cinema touchstone
for both its spectacle and themes. “For me,” says Letteri, “Planet of
the Apes is such a classic and beloved film that the idea of working on
an origin story - the story about how it all came to be - was
interesting, especially being able to focus on the point of view of
Caesar as our main character.”

As Weta Digital utilized its state-of-the-art tools to render
photo-realistic apes, the world’s foremost
performance capture artist,
actor Andy Serkis, came aboard the project to infuse Caesar with nuance,
emotion, soul, wisdom and heart. Serkis’ contributions to Rise of
the Planet of the Apes cannot be overestimated, says Wyatt: “Andy
Serkis is our generation’s Charlie Chaplin. By that I mean he’s one of
the very few actors around who has fully embraced the available visual
effects technology because he completely understands the full potential
of what it can achieve. I think some actors are intimidated by
performance capture because they think it’s separating their performance
from the actual reality of the film, when quite the opposite is true.
Andy understands that every little nuance – every breath, every little
muscle movement that he gives on camera is visual exposition. Film is
primarily a visual medium and if you are able to have your character
tell a story with a minimal amount of words, then that’s ideal.”

Caesar’s character arc takes the chimp from a newborn to an adult and
the leader of a revolution. Serkis, who gave acclaimed performances as
Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and as
Kong in King Kong, notes
that “Caesar is one of the most formidable roles I’ve undertaken, both
physically and emotionally. It’s one thing to play a chimpanzee, but to
play one from infancy to adulthood – and a revolutionary leader – well,
that’s quite another. But it was irresistible to me as an actor.

“Part of the journey is having played him as a toddler and the joy of
discovery and then realizing that he has this intelligence beyond his
years,” Serkis continues. “He’s picking up on human beings around him
and is sensing that he is an extraordinary gifted being and then
realizing that the world can be a very brutal place. Caesar has
intelligence foisted on him. He didn’t seek it out. There’s a lot of
responsibility on his shoulders, without him having asked for it.”

By the film’s second act, “Caesar becomes a prisoner,” says Serkis. “He
gets taken away from a loving environment and feels rejected. He is
imprisoned in the San Bruno Sanctuary, where he’s put in a cage,
surrounded by these disturbed, wild creatures after being rejected by
the human beings who have been his parents and loved ones. He’s
questioning his identity. Then he finds the strength to lead and unite
the other apes and I think it’s then that he moves into kind of the
third stage… which is the revolution. He uses his intelligence to
galvanize these apes and then his strength and power to lead them. It’s
an extraordinary journey for me, as an actor.”

The role’s physical rigors represented a different kind of journey.
Precision, training and focus were paramount in capturing the realistic
ape movements. Stunt coordinator Terry Notary, a former Cirque du Soleil
artist, was instrumental in helping the performance capture actors shape
their roles. Notary also contributes important performance capture work
to some other key ape characters.

As the performance capture actors broke new ground in bringing emotion
and physicality to their roles, Weta Digital, too, was extending its
groundbreaking work on Avatar for RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. For
the first time, Weta Digital filmed visual effects on practical
locations outside the controlled environment of an enclosed stage, also
known as a Volume.

Letteri explains: “As we did with Avatar, we used the performance
capture suit and headgear to capture the actors’ facial expressions and
get the full range of their performances. But here, for the first time,
we used performance capture as a fully integrated part of the live
action performance. Working on Rise of the Planet of the Apes
became all about the performances and the actors interacting with one
another. We would take care of the rest – the actual visual effects –
later.”

Weta Digital devised a new portable performance capture rig, which could
be set up in different kinds of locations. For the first time ever,
notes visual effects supervisor Dan Lemmon, “we were able to get those
performances in direct sunlight.”

Weta Digital’s – and the entire production’s – biggest challenges came
during the filming of the film’s climax, which unfolds on, above, along
and beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. (The production constructed the
massive set outside of Vancouver.) The scene, depicting an epic battle
between man and primate, features elaborate stunts, fire, explosions,
helicopters, hundreds of cars and extras, and an atmospheric San
Francisco fog – as well as the culmination of all the drama, emotion and
character interactions.

This scene and the film’s other big set pieces are always in the service
of its emotional core and resonant themes. Sums up Andy Serkis: “Rise
of the Planet of the Apes doesn’t feel like a visual effects-driven
film. It feels like a powerful emotional story with a big backdrop. The
action and spectacle work seamlessly with the drama. And that’s why I
think it’s really powerful – because the ‘wows’ aren’t in your face.
It’s all about finding realism and truth.”

“The film taps into our most primal fear of the Alpha of our planet
being usurped – literally letting another species take over the world –
and asks how would that play out,” concludes Rupert Wyatt.